When pressed on his “all over the map” description of Harbaugh, DiNardo makes valid points.

“Well, what offense is he going to run? Who’s calling the plays?” DiNardo asks. “Is (Ole Miss transfer quarterback) Shea Patterson, who’s a spread guy — are they going to put Shea into the pro formation or are they going to take the pro formation and make it a spread formation for Shea?”

Michigan often has been a mess at quarterback since 2015, Harbaugh’s first season there.

What’s more, “They’ve had how many different co-offensive coordinators?” DiNardo says. “Who’s doing what? I mean, it’s a pretty simple question: Who’s calling the plays? Except that’s not a simple question in Ann Arbor. The answer is convoluted. …

“I was on the sideline and watched the Outback Bowl,” he adds, referring to Michigan’s 26-19 loss to an 8-4 South Carolina team. “It doesn’t look like a well-oiled machine to me."

Comments

It seems easy to take pot shots at Harbaugh given last year's record and it certainly gets the clicks from pro- and anti-Michigan folks. All over the map could also be a good thing: it means he is harder to plan against. But, whatever, people are going to keep writing these things unti we have an outstanding season.

That 2016 team was one of the best teams in the country. It was very unlucky in close games and still went 10-3. Any positive luck in either the Iowa or OSU game and Michigan is very likely in the playoff.

Considering Harbaugh took us from a 5-7 disaster to 9-3 and then 10-2 and narrowly missing the playoff, I think his first two seasons were quite successful. 2017 was disappointing but for many reasons, all of which have already been beaten to death on this board.

It was a disappointment in our eyes, but the consensus prediction from almost everyone before the 2017 season was...8-4. They finished right where everyone thought they would.
2015- Overachieved
2016- Top 10 finish
2017- Finished where predicted

“but the consensus prediction from almost everyone before the 2017 season was...8-4”

If by almost everyone you mean everyone but the coaches poll that had Michigan ranked 9th and the AP poll which ranked Michigan 11th at the start of 2017 then maybe your statement wouldn’t be embarrassingly inaccurate.

Based on one returning starter on defense, not the relative collapse of the offense. Let's not go all revisionist now.

This time last year Michigan was sitting pretty at the QB position with a returning starter, an experienced starter in his fifth year, and a young maverick RS Freshman QB pushing the upperclassmen. The OL would be put right because Drevno and with returning experience at the RB position, a stable of talented TEs, a freshman head turner at WR and a returning starter at WR meant that the offense should have been every bit as good in 2017 as it was in 2016.

And, here's the important part, Michigan had a relatively easy schedule in 2017 with MSU and OSU at home. This was the consensus this time last year, the young and inexperienced defense would be Michigan's limiting factor.

Yes... the National coaches who don’t know Michigan’s roster, the turnover, or what the team was bringing back.

The coaches poll is the biggest farce in sports. They don’t have time to watch other teams play or study their teams (unless they’re playing them of course). They have no idea who to rank in what spot.

A large portion of people here, who actually know the team really well, saw what we were losing from the year before, saw how young we were, and saw the schedule. 8-4/9-3 was the overwhelming majority of predictions. It was uglier than most people expected, but the prediction was spot on for most.

harbaugh took over a train wreck (sure, he had some experienced talent) and got the arrow pointing back up. not there yet though. and im sure hed be the first to admit that - when your goals remain winning conference / national championships, beating your rivals, winning bowl games, etc, theyve put together some good to very good seasons without achieving what hed likely consider outstanding or truly successful seasons

Iowa game was an absolute fiasco. We may have lost the game itself on the last play, but everything about that game was shit including coaching. The OSU and FSU games were understandable, the Iowa game was a train wreck.

I mean... he’s not wrong. He could even add to that if he wanted. There were at least half a dozen missed holding calls (including the previous play that set up 4th and short) and OSU was getting away with pass interference all day, including two of the more blatant pass interferences I have ever seen go uncalled.

Fact is, the officiating in that game was attrocious and very clearly slanted in OSU’s favor. A competent officiating crew and Michigan wins. Make the correct call on 4th down, and Michigan wins. I truly hate blaming officiating, but the past few years it has looked like Michigan has to be better than OSU AND the officials to win that game.

Dude, no... None of what you said is accurate at all. That sideline pass to Darboh wasn't a bad pass but it was not a drop. It was a covered route that the defender got his hand on and deflected it.

The interception to Chesson was thrown behind Chesson so he had to stop his route and try fighting off the defender, he lost. But if that was thrown in front of Chesson to the sideline where it was supposed to be its a surefire completion.

Darboh got severly underthrown twice (once might have been Chesson, I can't remember) and overthrown twice as well on plays where he burnt his DB. But I don't know what Harbaugh was thinking calling the "throw shitty deep balls" play four times.